Queen Alia International Airport welcomed 3.74 million passengers during the first half of 2026, maintaining reliable operations despite conflict-driven flight suspensions, airspace restrictions and weaker demand for travel to Jordan.
Passenger numbers fell 15 per cent from the corresponding period of 2025, when the airport handled about 4.4 million travellers and recorded its strongest first-half performance. The downturn reflected a volatile operating environment across the Middle East, where airlines repeatedly adjusted schedules, rerouted aircraft or temporarily suspended services.
Airport International Group, the Jordanian company operating Queen Alia International Airport, recorded 32,311 aircraft movements between January and June, down 11.1 per cent year on year. Cargo throughput declined 19.9 per cent to 30,618 tonnes.
The half-year figures nevertheless showed a pronounced improvement during June. The airport handled 749,153 passengers that month, an increase of 4.4 per cent from June 2025. Aircraft movements rose 4.9 per cent to 6,115, while cargo volumes jumped 35.9 per cent to 6,546 tonnes.
The June gains marked a shift from the disruption that weighed heavily on the opening months of the year. Passenger traffic began stabilising in April, when 411,865 travellers used the airport, before climbing 46.9 per cent month on month to 605,181 in May.
May traffic remained 17.9 per cent below the level recorded a year earlier, while aircraft movements were down 18.1 per cent. The improvement from April, however, indicated that airlines were gradually restoring capacity and passengers were resuming postponed journeys.
Regional military escalation sharply reduced flight activity during parts of the first quarter. Several foreign carriers suspended operations to Amman, while restrictions elsewhere forced airlines to adopt longer routes through alternative air corridors. Queen Alia continued serving arriving and departing flights throughout much of the disruption, although daily activity temporarily fell well below normal levels.
Before the disruption intensified in late February, the airport was handling about 220 flights a day. Daily movements later dropped to roughly 120 before recovering towards 130 as regional and international carriers reinstated services.
Airlines restoring or maintaining links included Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, flynas, EgyptAir, Air Cairo, Ethiopian Airlines, Oman Air and Romania’s TAROM. Their return helped protect Jordan’s links with Gulf markets, Europe, Africa and Asia during a period of constrained regional capacity.
Royal Jordanian’s performance also supported airport activity. The flag carrier transported about 992,000 passengers during the first quarter, up 5 per cent from 944,000 a year earlier, while its flight hours increased by 19 per cent. The growth highlighted the importance of the national airline when foreign operators were reducing exposure to the region.
Airport International Group chief executive Nicolas Deviller said operational efficiency, reliability and the protection of Jordan’s international connectivity remained the company’s priorities during the difficult first half.
“We will continue working closely with our strategic partners to reinforce the airport’s position as a vital gateway for tourism, commerce and economic development,” Deviller said.
The decline in airport traffic coincided with weaker tourism income. Jordan’s tourism receipts fell 5.3 per cent to $3.5 billion during the first half, affected by lower spending from European, American and expatriate visitors. Revenue from European travellers dropped 28.2 per cent, while receipts from visitors from the United States declined 25.6 per cent.
The figures underline the link between aviation capacity and Jordan’s wider visitor economy. Queen Alia is the principal entry point for travellers heading to Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and the country’s religious and archaeological sites. Flight cancellations and negative perceptions of regional security can therefore affect hotels, tour operators, restaurants and transport businesses even when destinations remain accessible.
The airport entered 2026 after handling a record 9.79 million passengers in 2025, an increase of 11.3 per cent from the previous year. Aircraft movements reached 80,565, while annual cargo volumes totalled 69,770 tonnes.
That record provided a high comparison base for the first-half decline. Passenger traffic had expanded rapidly during 2025 as airlines added capacity and travel demand strengthened, with the airport registering its busiest month in August when passenger numbers exceeded 1.08 million.
Airport International Group operates Queen Alia under a build-operate-transfer concession awarded by the government in 2007. The concession, which runs until 2032, covers the rehabilitation, expansion and management of the airport. Groupe ADP owns a 51 per cent stake in the operator, while infrastructure investor Meridiam holds 32 per cent.
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